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ESPN staff
Incoming Wallabies coach Dave Rennie remains committed to the job despite the resignation of now former chief executive Raelene Castle.
Rennie confirmed he will travel to Australia to begin his Wallabies tenure later this year, and that he remains in dialogue with Rugby Australia officials about exactly when that might be able to occur amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current Glasgow coach, who is waiting on news to see if either the PRO14 or European Champions Cup will resume this season, had hinted he may reconsider his Wallabies posting if Castle exited her role as chief executive.
The former RA chief had played a leading role in enticing Rennie Down Under, starting conversations long before New Zealand Rugby had approached him to apply for the All Blacks job following Steve Hansen’s departure.
Castle stepped down from her post on Thursday evening after being told she no longer had the support of the RA board, a position chairman Paul McLean later revealed was as much about her mental health as anything.
“I am really gutted at the decision to move Raelene on,” Rennie told U.K. reporters overnight. “She is a big part of the reason I signed with Australia. I was really impressed by her. She had a real clean plan over what the next few years looked like.
“I am really disappointed. But she exited with dignity and class. I am disappointed with the decision but clearly I want a chat with the board and [to] get clarity over what the plan looks like now.
“I am still very committed and we have been doing a lot of work in and around preparation for when the new season comes around.”
Just when Rennie might be able to move to Australia is unknown, although a restart of either the PRO14 or Champions Cup tournaments seems increasingly unlikely given the scope of the coronavirus pandemic across the U.K. and Europe.
Given he is not an Australian resident or citizen, Rennie would need a special exemption to travel to Australia where he would then almost certainly have to complete a fortnight in quarantine at a hotel, as has been directed by the Federal Government.
Any move Down Under could however be conducted to align Rennie with the start of a planned domestic Australian tournament featuring the country’s four Super Rugby sides and the Western Force.
There have also been reports of Wallabies trial games or even a State of Origin-style exhibition match, with Ireland and Fiji now unlikely to travel to Australia for Test matches in July.
“I’ve been in constant contact – probably every second day I’m talking to people in Australia,” Rennie said. “Scott Johnson, who also played a big part in getting me over there … we’re talking all the time. We’ve got a management group that’s trying to drive stuff and connect with Super Rugby coaches.
“The relationship with all Super Rugby clubs has been really good and has made a difference. We’re all trying to work together to improve the athletes, especially when they’re isolated.”
RA chairman McLean paid tribute to Castle’s work in aligning Australia’s provincial Unions in their high-performance structures, citing it as among her finest contributions to Australian rugby.